Strengths Based Leadership - University of Colorado...Explain principles of strengths based leadership Describe your Top 5 Strengths Describe how your talents can be productive and

Strengths Based Leadership

My Talent Story

1.Woo2.Positivity3.Communication4.Activator5.Adaptability

Stand up if you almost always…1. Talk to people in elevators, airplanes, grocery stores, and wherever you go2. Have a color-coded or otherwise organized closet3. Write down a list of things to do and stick to it (even on the weekends)4. Answer a question with another question5. Need to pick someone to race while driving6. Pick up the energy in a room without talking to anyone7. Assemble an item without looking at the instructions 8. Push the elevator button to 'remind' the elevator you are there

Learning OutcomesBy the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Explain principles of strengths based leadershipDescribe your Top 5 StrengthsDescribe how your talents can be productive and ineffectiveApply Strengths Spotting to understand the needs of your

followersUse tools to lead yourself and others

Theory Background• Intended purpose: online assessment of personal talent that

identifies areas where an individual’s greatest potential for building strengths exists

• Primary application: an evaluation that initiates a strengths-based development process in work and academic settings

• Founded in positive psychology with over 30-years of theory & research associated with semi-structured personal interviews

CliftonStrengths Theory• Assessment serves as a starting point in the discovery and

development of talents to achieve success• 1 in 300,000 = same top five in any order• 1 in 33,000,000 = same top five in same order• .74 = Average retest reliability (1-month, 3-months, 6-months

with n=538, n=390, n=376 respectively)• On average; 3 of your top 5 remain for life• Most operate out of top 10-12 talents

The Clifton StrengthsFinder® 2.0 Technical Report: Development and Validation

Leadership Research

Most effective leaders…1. Are always investing in strengths2. Surround themselves with the right people and

then maximize their teams3. Understand their followers’ needs

Strengths Development Principles

1. Themes are neutral2. Themes are not labels3. Lead with positive intent4. Differences are an advantage5. People need one another

3X 6X

When people focus on using their strengths…

Treasure Hunt1. Briefly review your Signature Theme report + find top

5 on Reference Guide

2. Select the talent you’re connecting with the most3. Meet 10 of your colleagues and ask their name,

campus, role, favorite talent and why

Strengths Insight Report Personalize your report Underline the words and phrases like you Cross out words and phrases not like you Select two statements from each talent that you think best

describes you Share your insights with a partner How do these talents help you be successful as a leader? How do these talents get in your way of being a successful

leader?

Balcony and Basement

Find your top fiveReview the ‘perceptions’ for each talent Select the one or two talent(s) you go to the

basement the most often Share your insights with a partner How can this information help you in your

leadership of others?

Four Domains of Leadership

Executing Influencing Relationship Building

StrategicThinking

AchieverArranger

BeliefConsistencyDeliberativeDiscipline

FocusResponsibilityRestorative

ActivatorCommand

CommunicationCompetitionMaximizer

Self-AssuranceSignificance

Woo

AdaptabilityConnectedness

DeveloperEmpathyHarmonyIncluder

IndividualizationPositivityRelator

AnalyticalContext

FuturisticIdeation

InputIntellection

LearnerStrategic

Copyright © 2000 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

How the Four Domains of Leadership Show Up in the Workplace

1.How does your domain communicate a vision?2.How do you get your work done?3.What are the leadership challenges and blind spots

for this domain?4.What is important for the work environment to

enable your domain to lead at its best?

Strengths Spotting – Clues to Talent1. Yearning: the pull or attraction to one activity over another

Ask “If you had an entire week of your calendar open up and couldn’t work on previous commitments, what would you spend your time doing?”

2. Satisfaction: individual, intrinsic motivation, the activities we genuinely enjoy

Ask: “What are you doing at work when you’re truly enjoying yourself?”

Strengths Spotting – Clues to Talent3. Rapid Learning: the way we are naturally wired to learn, pathways that

are ingrained in our DNAAsk: What have you done well that you didn’t need explained?”

4. Glimpses of Excellence: success is a compilation of moments and others can recognize these moments in everyday lifeAsk: What have other people told you you’re great at?”

5. Total Performance Excellence: or also know as ‘flow’, optimal state of intrinsic motivationAsk: “What are you doing when time seems to disappear?”

Practice Strengths Spotting1. Pair up with someone you do not know.

2. DO NOT share your talents with one another.

3. Interview your partner, understand who they are, ask the

clues to talent questions.

4. Can you guess which talents they have in their top five?

5. Can you guess which Leadership Domain(s) they fall in?

6. Switch.

Next Steps1. Share your talents with your team, explain the impact and

opportunity2. Practice Strengths Spotting or purchase assessment3. Facilitate a Strengths based team development session4. Complete the “Strengths Profile” to identify powerful

partnerships5. Be mindful and communicate around your lesser talents or

your basements

Want to Learn More?Books: • Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements• Strengths Based Parenting• Teach With Your Strengths• How Full Is Your Bucket?Resources:• www.colorado.edu/cliftonstrengths/• Gallup-Purdue Index• www.gallup.com